Point Defaults

This command sets Carlson point options for drawing point entities.

Descriptions: Specify whether you are prompted for a point description when creating points and whether the point descriptions are labeled in the point block.

Dialog Prompt: When creating new points, this option controls whether to prompt for descriptions and elevations in a dialog or at the command line.

Elevations: Specify whether you are prompted for a point elevation when creating points and whether or not the point elevation is labeled with the point.

Prefix/Suffix: Indicate a desired prefix or suffix that should be included with the elevation label.

Locate on Real Z Axis: When checked, points are drawn at their actual elevation, otherwise, points will be drawn at Z=0.

The following tables illustrate the effects of Elevation vs. Real Z settings:

Effects of Elevation Settings - Scenario 1
	Elevations Yes	Real Z Yes
Picked Point	Labels point, Prompts for elevation	Uses elevation for z coordinate
Point Number	Labels point, No Prompt	Uses z coordinate from file

Effects of Elevation Settings - Scenario 2
	Elevations Yes	Real Z No
Picked Point	Labels point, Prompts for elevation	Uses 0 for z coordinate
Point Number	Labels point, No Prompt	Uses 0 for z coordinate

Effects of Elevation Settings - Scenario 3
	Elevations No	Real Z Yes
Picked Point	Labels point, No Prompt	Uses z coordinate of picked point
Point Number	Labels point, No Prompt	Uses z coordinate from file

Effects of Elevation Settings - Scenario 4
	Elevations No	Real Z No
Picked Point	No Label, No Prompt	Uses 0 for z coordinate
Point Number	No Label, No Prompt	Uses 0 for z coordinate

Attribute Layout ID: Controls the location of the point number, elevation and description. Up to 10 attribute layouts (0 through 9) are available. See Carlson Knowledgebase Article 779 (Customized Carlson Point Attribute Layouts) for examples and steps of different attribute layout configurations.

Symbol Name: Enter the default symbol name to use. You may also pick the Select Symbol button to select a symbol from the Symbol Library.

Prompt for Symbol Names: When checked, you will be prompted for each symbol name instead of using the default symbol.

Point Numbers: When this toggle is OFF, no point number will be created and no points will be stored in the active coordinate file.

Automatic Point Numbers: When enabled, point numbers are numbered sequentially from the Start Point Number. If the Start Point Number field is set to 0, no point will be plotted. An exception to this is when you use the Draw-Locate Points command and use the Range option, then a point entity is plotted. When disabled, commands that locate new points will prompt for the point number.

Start Point Number: Specify the starting point number to use.

Layer for Points: Specify the default layer name for Carlson points.

Vertical Angle Mode: Specify how Carlson should prompt you for vertical angles. None means "Do not prompt." This applies to creating points with commands such as Traverse. The vertical angle is used to calculate the point elevation.

Separate Layers: Specify settings for point attribute layers:

None - The point number, elevation and description use the layer names PNTNO, PNTELEV and PNTDESC, respectively.
Points - The point number, elevation and description layers are composed by concatenating the point layer and the string NO, ELEV, and DESC. For example, if the point layer is UTIL then the attribute layers will be UTILNO, UTILELEV and UTILDESC, respectively.
Symbols - The point symbol layer is composed by concatenating the point layer and the string MARK. For example, if the point layer is UTIL then the symbol layer will be UTILMARK.
Both - The point symbol, point number, elevation and description layers are composed by concatenating the point layer and the string MARK, NO, ELEV, and DESC respectively. For example, if the point layer is UTIL then the symbol/attribute layers will be UTILMARK, UTILNO, UTILELEV and UTILDESC.

Auto Zoom Center for New Points: When checked, the drawing will perform a "Zoom Center" around new points to keep the display centered around the current working area during the new point creation process.

Draw Point Nodes: This option controls whether to create a CAD point entity. A full Carlson point consists of the CAD point entity, point symbol and point attribute block that has the point number, elevation and description labels. Normally the CAD point entity is part of this group but is not required.

Use Annotative Points: When enabled, points (usually placed through the Draw Field-to-Finish or Draw-Locate Points commands) will use scale-able annotative properties.

Support All Drawing Scales: When enabled, points placed as annotative entities will make use of all annotation scales currently defined within the drawing.

Mask Point Attributes: This option hides the drawing behind the point attributes when the points are drawn. The Mask Offset controls the buffer area around the point attribute. This offset value is scaled by the drawing horizontal scale. You can also leave this option off and apply the mask later by using the Mask Point Attributes command under the Points > Point Utilities menu.

Use Field to Finish for Point Styles: Allows you to use the code definitions from the designated Feature Library Definition (FLD) table specified below. For example, when creating a point with description of "FH" (for Fire Hydrant), Carlson would look up "FH" in the Field to Finish table and will use the field code definitions to establish the parameters of the point being created instead of the definitions defined in within Point Defaults. The Field To Finish settings under Additional Draw Options are described in the Field To Finish topic in the manual.

Code Table: This option lets you specify the Feature Library Definition file (FLD) used by the Use Field to Finish controls specified above.

GIS File: This option lets you specify a GIS file to be used when creating new points. The GIS file contains a list of fields to prompt for. For each point that is created, the program will prompt for these fields and store the results to the note file (.not) associated with the current coordinate file.

Pulldown Menu Location(s): Points
Keyboard Command: ptsetup
Prerequisite: None